STA, 25 January 2019 - The prostitution ring dismantled by Slovenian police two days ago was led by two Slovenian citizens and is estimated to have made at least EUR 14m from the illegal business, a police official said on Friday.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has led the investigation into prostitution, human trafficking and drug abuse from September 2014 in the areas of Nova Gorica, west, and Maribor, north-east, NBI deputy director David Antolovič said at a news conference in Ljubljana.
At least 300 women have been offering sexual services since then in a hotel with a spa in the area of Nova Gorica. They all came from abroad, mostly from Romania, Ukraine, Albania and the area of the former Yugoslavia.
The police investigation has found that the ring with at least 14 identified members was led by a 50-year-old and a 35-year-old from the area of Maribor. "The ring was hierarchically organised, with roles being clearly assigned," said Antolovič.
The suspects had renovated a building near Nova Gorica, which was advertised as a sauna, spa and wellness with a touch of eroticism, which was a cover for abusing women for prostitution under a set of strictly defined rules.
Only men were allowed to enter the hotel, for which they were charged an entrance fee of 60 to 85 euro. Women could be there only as prostitutes; to get to the hotel, they had to book an appointment online, and pay an entrance fee of 70 euro.
"The suspects controlled the victims all the time and set the price of their sexual services," said Antolovič, noting the victims were "totally subdued".
If they failed to obey, they were barred from the premises, he said adding they had opted for prostitution convinced this was the only way in which they could make a living.
Eight suspects were detained on Wednesday, with six remaining in custody, including the ring leader. They were to be brought before an investigating judge today.
They are suspected of eleven counts of abuse of prostitution, human trafficking, and illegal production and sale of drugs.
Under Slovenia's penal code, abuse of prostitution is a crime which carries a prison sentence of three to 15 years, human trafficking three to twelve years, and drug production and sale from one to ten years.
According to Antolovič, "the investigation was very demanding, because the suspects were very well organised and consistent in hiding the abuse".
"It was difficult to gather evidence because they had invested a lot of effort and money into trying to show they were engaged in a legal business."
This is one of the largest cases of prostitution ever discovered in Slovenia, where prostitution is decriminalised.
However, it is a crime to exploit or abuse sex workers, which is often linked to human trafficking.
Slovenia is a destination country in human trafficking, and the victims are most often exploited at night clubs or apartments rented by criminal rings.
